Strawberry Wine
by sara83
Summary: REPOST After high school graduation, Hermione goes to stay with her grandparents on their farm for the summer. Draco comes to work for her grandfather...questions are asked...and answered. Based on the song by Deana Carter
1. AN

Ok, I don't know if anyone remembers this story but I wrote it a long time ago and had to take it off because I didn't have the net and I couldn't keep up with everything.

Well, I FINALLY have the net and I've started writing again and I am finally working on this story some more…

I'm going to repost a new chapter every day or so and hope that I get all the great feedback the first time I posted it!

:o)

-Sara


	2. This is going to be a great summer

Strawberry Wine

Summary: After high school graduation, Hermione goes to stay with her grandparents on their farm for the summer. Draco comes to work for her grandfather...questions are asked...and answered.

A/N: This is a very AU story. I just wanted to write something different! It's based on the song "Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

XX

Hermione Granger looked out the second story window of her room and gazed at everything in front of her; fields. Fields for as far as she could see, with a few huge farmhouses spread about five miles apart. Hermione had never been on a farm before, much less spent two months there; but her parents thought it would be a good experience before she went off to college. Hermione didn't really mind; she was actually kind of happy. She was glad to get away from everything that was New York; she'd lived there since the day she was born and she was more than thrilled to leave it behind for a while. Not to mention all the people; she had grown up with the same people for 18 years and sometimes they made her want to pull her hair out. Well, all except for three; Harry, Ron, and Ginny. They were her best friends and she missed them terribly, but she got letters from each of them every week, so things weren't all that bad.

Hermione rummaged through her closet looking for something to wear, finally settling on a baby blue spaghetti strap shirt, khaki shorts, flip flops, and a baby blue bandanna to keep her hair out of her face. When she went downstairs, she was greeted by the wonderful smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes.

"Morning!" Hermione happily greeted her grandparents as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"Good morning dear." Her grandma greeted.

"'Mia, I'm glad you're here; there's something we need to talk about." Her grandpa said.

"Ok." Hermione said as she poured syrup all over her stack of pancakes.

"We're not as young as we used to be, so your grandma and I decided that we need some help around here."

"Isn't that part of why I'm here?" Hermione asked.

"Well yes, but we need someone who can really get a lot of work done. We're telling you this because I think you know the young man we've hired."

"Really; what's his name?"

"Umm..." Hermione's grandpa looked at her grandma.

"Draco Malfoy is his name."

Hermione spit her orange juice out, "Malfoy!"

"You do know him."

"Not him!"

"You don't like him?"

"You could say that."

"Sorry sweetie, but he seemed the best qualified."

"I have to spend my entire summer with him?"

"I'm afraid so."

Hermione banged her head on the table, "Life as I know it is over."

Hermione's grandfather chuckled, "He seemed like a very nice young man; maybe you'll get to be friends by the summer's end."

Hermione scoffed, "Yea right."

Her grandma looked at her watch, "He should be here within the hour."

Hermione finished her juice, "I'm gonna go sulk in my room."

Her grandparents smiled as she trudged up the stairs.

Hermione fell onto her bed, "This summer is so going to suck!"

XX

Draco Malfoy pulled his car into the driveway of his new home for the summer. He got out of the car and looked around. He was surrounded by millions of wheat fields on all four sides of him.

"How in the Hell did I end up here? Oh yea, I told my father to go fuck himself."

Draco sighed and grabbed all his bags from his trunk. He walked up to the front door and took a deep breath, "Be charming Draco."

He knocked on the door.

An older woman with grayish hair answered the door, "You must be Draco; please come in!"

"Thank you ma'am."

Draco stepped inside and was greeted by another person, "Hello, I'm Richard, and this is my wife Anna."

"Nice to meet you sir, I'm Draco Malfoy." Draco shook Richard's hand.

"Please, come into the kitchen." Richard said.

Draco followed.

"Are you hungry?"

"No sir, I ate breakfast on the way, thank you."

"Ok. You'll probably want to get settled before we go over everything. I'll have my granddaughter show you to your room."

'Granddaughter?' Draco thought. 'This summer might not be so bad.'

"'Mia!" Richard called up the stairs.

Draco heard a door open and shut, followed by footsteps coming down the stairs. He smiled as the view in front of him got better and better the further up his eyes traveled. His smiled vanished when he saw her face, "Granger!"

Hermione gave him a death look, "Malfoy."

"What the fu…" He realized where he was and cleared his throat.

Hermione's grandparents chuckled.

"Hermione, will you show Draco to his room?" Anna asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Yea; this way."

Draco followed her up the stairs never taking his eyes off her ass, "What the hell happened to you?"

Hermione didn't bother to turn around, "What are you talking about?"

"You look different."

"Really." She said, not amused.

"What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"

"This is my grandparent's house; I'm staying for the summer."

"Great, just what I need to ruin my summer."

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and spun around to face him; Draco almost ran into her.

"Listen here, you little creep; if I'd known YOU were coming, I WOULDN'T have! This is MY house, so you better keep your distance!"

"Whoa there tiger, retract the claws please. I was just trying to get a rise out of you, and apparently it worked."

"Well knock-it-off."

Draco bowed, "Yes ma'am."

Hermione gritted her teeth, but turned around and kept walking down the hall, "This is my grandparent's room, this is your room, this is the bathroom, and this is my room."

She went straight to her room, "So stay away!" She slammed the door.

Draco opened the door to his room, "Oh yea, this is going to be a great summer."

XX

To be continued…


	3. Calling a truce

Part 2

XX

Hermione sat on her chair and stared out the window, thinking about only one thing; Draco Malfoy. He was absolutely gorgeous; she didn't remember him looking like that. However, she'd only ever seen him in his school uniform, which didn't really do anything for him. The one thing that had remained the same about him was his perfect face; it was still as beautiful as it had always been. His eyes were a cross between blue and silver and it was so easy to get lost in them. His hair was almost platinum blond and had a spiky look to it. He looked just the same as he did in high school, except this time, she could see how much he worked out, and he was definitely easy on the eyes. 

"Snap out of it Granger! You are NOT going to make it through the summer if you keep thinking like that!" She got out of her chair and left her room.

As she went down the hall, she saw Draco in the bathroom washing his hands. She also noticed that he had changed; now he was wearing faded jeans, tennis shoes, and a wife beater that showed off everything his upper body had to offer. Draco glanced at her and noticed that she was staring at him.

He smirked, "See something you like?"

Hermione snapped out of it and glared at him. She walked over to the bathroom and pulled the door shut, then she jiggled the doorknob to the left a bit before going back to her room. She heard Draco turning the doorknob trying to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Dammit Granger, let me out!"

Hermione slowly walked back over to the door and easily opened it. Draco glared at her.

"You have to turn it just right, or it gets stuck." Hermione gave him an innocent smile.

"I'm glad you got that out of your system; you feel better now?" 

"Much!" Hermione beamed at him. She turned on her heel and glided down the stairs. Draco watched her leaving, "That school uniform didn't do your body any justice." He commented under his breath.

He shut off the bathroom light and went downstairs.

Richard was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper, he saw Draco and smiled, "Are you ready to get started?"

Draco glanced at Hermione who was sitting at the table drinking juice; she was glaring at him.

Draco smirked at her, then looked back at Richard, "Yes, sir." 

"Great; why don't we start with feeding, then we'll move onto cleaning." 

Hermione scoffed, "Draco Malfoy cleaning; that'll be the day." 

Draco shot daggers at Hermione.

"That'll be enough Hermione!" her grandmother scolded.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Draco, "I'm gonna go feed Samson."

She got up and pushed herself passed Draco and went outside.

"Samson?" Draco asked.

"He's Hermione's horse." Richard explained.

"Oh." 

"Well, let's get to it."

Draco followed Richard outside.

XX

At two, Anna rang a bell signaling that it was time for lunch. Hermione was inside setting the table and she almost fell over laughing when Draco walked in. He had sweat practically dripping down his face, his hands were filthy, and his shirt wasn't white anymore. Hermione couldn't help but notice that he was still hot.

Hermione put another plate on the table and grinned, "All that after only feeding? Just wait until you clean the stalls."

Draco ignored her and looked at Anna, "I'm gonna go wash up." 

Draco came downstairs ten minutes later with a new shirt, and clean hands. He sat across from Hermione at the table.

"Feel better?" She asked with a wicked grin.

Draco glared at her, "I don't see you out there, up to your knees in horse, cow, and pig shit." He spat at her, just so she could hear.

"Oh, but that part's still to come, it's the greatest."

"So then why aren't you out there doing it if you love it so much?"

"Because I'm in here helping my grandmother around the HOUSE. What, you don't think I could do this just as well as you? I saw the look on your face when you came in; you were disgusted beyond words. Face it; you're just a spoiled, rich, city boy who wouldn't know an honest day's work if it came up and bit you in the ass. You've never had to work for anything a day in your life!"

"Why the hell do you think I'm here! You think I'm here to spend time with you? My father kicked me out and disowned me! I'm here so I can make enough money to actually pay for the college that I've been working my ass off in school for! I'd love nothing more than to leave this god forsaken place, AND get as far away from you as possible, but I don't have a choice!"

Just then, Anna appeared with lunch.

Draco stood up, and slammed his chair into the table, "Sorry Mrs. Granger, but I'm not hungry anymore. I'm gonna go start on the stalls."

He didn't even look at Hermione as he stormed out of the house; she suddenly felt very bad. She had no idea that he was actually working for college; she just thought it was some stupid excuse so her grandfather would actually hire him. She was silent all through lunch. Afterwards, she cleared the table and washed the dishes, then went outside to find Draco.

When she found him, he was cleaning Samson's stall. She walked up and patted her favorite horse, "I'm sorry about what I said. I had no idea that your father...kicked you out."

"Yea; well, you don't know shit about me, and I don't need an apology from you."

"What the hell is your problem! I said I was sorry! Since the day I met you, you've been nothing but a spoiled, rich, jerk, who never once had a single nice thing to say to me, and suddenly you're a new person...except for one thing. You've still got that cocky 'I'm better than you' attitude that you've always had. You're not better than me; you're right where I've been all my life, and I love my life! Actually, I'm not sorry about what I said, I meant every word! It's about damn time you were finally put in your place!" 

Hermione stormed back to the house and went straight up to her room.

Draco stopped what he was doing and looked at Samson, "Shit." 

She was absolutely right; after all the shit her put her through, he was finally getting what he deserved. Draco let out an exasperated sigh, patted Samson on the back, and finished his work.

XX 

When Draco was finally finished, it was around 7:30 and he...smelled...horrible! He went upstairs and was headed for the bathroom when he saw the light on in Hermione's room. He cautiously walked up and knocked on the door.

Hermione turned around and glared at Draco, "What do you want?"

He stood in her doorway, "I'm sorry."

She just stared at him.

"I really am. You were right about everything. I was a jerk and I never really thought about it until I was in your place...sort of. What I mean is...I was an asshole. I'm sorry."

Hermione looked at him for a minute, "It's ok. I'm sorry I just assumed all that stuff about you coming to work here. I can only imagine what it was like to get kicked out. I'm not even gonna ask, 'cause it's none of my business. Can I say one thing though?"

"Yea, sure."

"Go take a shower, you smell REALLY bad."

For the first time since she'd known him, Draco gave Hermione a genuine smile, "Good idea."

Twenty minutes later, Draco got out of the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Hermione. She had on a spaghetti-strap black tank top that was about an inch above her belly button, jean shorts that went to her mid thigh, and sandals. Her hair was curled just enough to frame her face. She was also wearing a tiny amount of dark blue eye shadow and black eyeliner; just enough makeup to accentuate her eyes.

Hermione noticed him string at her, "What?"

"You look...different."

Hermione smiled, "So you've said."

"Where are you going dressed like that?"

"There's a lake about a mile away. During the summer a bunch of kids like to hang out there at night. That's pretty much all there is to do out here. It's not much, but it's kinda fun. You wanna go?"

"Yea sure; gimme five minutes."

Draco disappeared into his room and came out five minutes later. He was wearing blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and a red button down shirt. His hair was spiked up and he had a silver chain around his neck. 

Hermione gave him the same look he had given her; he was gorgeous. Hermione pushed the thoughts aside, "Ready?"

"Yep." 

They went downstairs and out the backdoor. Draco studied Hermione as they were walking; her ears were pierced three times on each side and her cartilage was pierced on her left ear. She'd painted her nails dark purple, she had rings on six fingers, about a million little silver bracelets on her right wrist, an ankle bracelet, and three toe rings. Something else caught his eye; on her lower back was a tattoo of a red rose with barbed wire wrapped around it, surrounded by flames. 

"You have a tattoo?"

"Wow, nothing gets by you."

"You've really changed since school."

"No, I haven't changed; you just never took the time to actually get to know me. There's a lot that you don't know about me Mr. Malfoy." 

"Really; what do I have to do to find out?"

"I'll have to think about that." Hermione smirked at him.

Draco heard the faint sound of music somewhere up ahead; the closer they got, the louder the music got. When they finally got there, there were about thirty kids, most of them their age, a stereo blasting music, a few lanterns spread all over, and a huge bonfire right in the center of everything. Some kids were swimming in the lake, some were dancing, but most of them were just standing around talking. 

Hermione saw some of her friends and turned to Draco, "You gonna be ok? No body bites." She smiled.

He rolled his eyes, "I think I can take care of myself mom." 

Hermione winked at him, "Have fun."

She left Draco and went over to a group of girls standing by the fire. 

"Hey guys."

A tall, skinny red-head named Vanessa spoke first, "Hey girl, we were wondering if you were gonna show."

"Are you kidding, I wouldn't miss this."

A blond named Carly grinned at Hermione, "Who's the stud?" 

Hermione saw Carly eyeing Draco, "I went to school with him; he's working on my grandparent's farm this summer."

"He's staying at your house all summer? Why can't I ever be that lucky?" A petite brunette with glasses frowned.

"He's gorgeous; does he have a girlfriend?" Vanessa asked?

"I don't know; I don't think so." Hermione was studying Draco. 

"Then why aren't you over there with him?" Carly asked.

Hermione snickered, "We have a complicated past."

"Really? Do tell."

"We grew up together and to say the least, we didn't get along."

"So then why did you come here with him?"

"He's different now. He actually has a heart…I think."

"That's not all he has." Vanessa said as she was checking him out.

The girls broke into a fit of giggles.

Meanwhile, Draco was looking around at all the people when a tall guy with black hair approached Draco, "You've got a fan club."

Draco looked at the guy and he pointed to Hermione and her friends who were still looking at him.

Draco and the other guy both smiled, "I'm Kevin."

"Draco." They shook hands.

"I've never seen you here before."

"I'm working on the Granger farm for the summer."

"The Grangers; so you've met their granddaughter Hermione."

"I actually grew up with her."

"Really? Lucky guy, she's a hot one; feisty too."

Draco looked at Hermione, "Yea, that she is."

Draco's eyes locked with Hermione's; she blushed and looked away.

For the next three hours, Hermione and Draco mingled with almost everyone, occasionally stealing glances at each other. Around two 'o clock, Hermione headed over to Draco, "You want to go home? I need my beauty sleep."

Draco smiled, "Look's like you got plenty of that."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Come on Romeo." She said goodnight to her friends and went back to the farm.

When they got upstairs, Draco smiled, "Thanks."

"For what?" she asked.

"For taking me there. I needed to get my mind off of...things." 

"Anytime. Goodnight Malfoy."

"'Night Granger." They exchanged smirks, then went to their rooms. 

When Draco got into bed, he smiled, "This summer might actually turn out ok."

He turned his light off and was asleep instantly.

XX

TBC…

Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I'm so glad you still like this story.


	4. Catching Up

Pt. 3

XXX

When Draco woke up the next morning, the entire house was filled with the sweet smell of maple syrup and bacon. He got up, jumped in the shower, put on a pair of faded jeans and a white t-shirt, then went downstairs. When he got to the kitchen, Richard was sitting at the table reading the paper, Anna was setting the table, and Hermione was still in her pajamas, fussing around in the kitchen.

"Good morning Draco." Anna greeted him happily.

"Morning Mrs. Granger." Draco smiled.

"Nonsense; call me Anna." The older woman instructed.

"Yes Ma'am."

"You're just in time for breakfast. Hermione is almost finished." 

Draco looked at Hermione, "You made it? I don't know if I want to eat it, you might poison me." He grinned wickedly at her.

Hermione smirked, "Not a bad idea; I'll keep that in mind for the next time. Sit down."

Draco did as he was told.

Anna and Richard stole a knowing glance at each other; they could feel that all the tension between the two teenagers from the previous morning had vanished.

After breakfast, Hermione went upstairs to take a shower, and Draco got started on the work. After her shower, Hermione grabbed a pair of jean shorts, a baby blue t-shirt, and put her hair in pigtails. She went downstairs, grabbed a basket, and went outside. She went out to the chicken coop and started checking for eggs.

Draco heard Hermione in the chicken coop and went over there without making a sound. He watched her as she collected the eggs and talked to the chickens.

"Hey Sally, you seem to be the one with the most eggs; as always." She ruffled the chicken's feathers and went to the next one. 

"Henrietta, you don't have any; as usual." She chuckled, then moved on to the next one.

Draco smiled, "Do you get all your food from the farm?" 

Hermione jumped and spun around, "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me!" 

Draco grinned, "Oops."

Hermione glared at him, "Shouldn't you be working?"

"I am…well I was. I needed a break."

"So you decided to watch me getting eggs."

"Yes, I had a very good view...until you turned around; but I like this view too." Draco commented.

Hermione looked at him, "Do those lines work on all the girls?"

"Usually."

Draco went back to cleaning the stalls, and Hermione finished her chores. 

Around noon, Hermione came outside with a water bottle and threw it to Draco, who was just finishing the stalls. He gave her a grateful smile and poured half the bottle over his head, and drank the rest. 

"Jesus, it's like a damn inferno out here!" He complained.

Hermione laughed and Draco threw the empty bottle at her.

She caught it without flinching, "I have to go into town and get some stuff; can you maybe give me a ride when you're finished? I'd go myself, but grandma and grandpa went to look at some stupid farm equipment, and they took the car."

Draco smirked at her, "What's in it for me?"

Without missing a beat, Hermione replied, "The satisfaction of knowing that I WON'T poison your breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Works for me. When do you need to go?"

"Whenever you're done here."

"As you wish."

Draco winked at her and went on with his work.

Hermione heard the sound of a car coming towards her house and she ran to see who it was. A red Geo Metro pulled up and Vanessa and Carly got out. 

"Hey girl, what's up?" Vanessa asked.

"Nothing much, just roasting to death."

"We're headed into town to do a little shopping, wanna go?" Carly asked.

"Actually, I'm going later this afternoon to get some stuff for my grandparents. Draco's gonna give me a lift."

Vanessa grinned, "Oh that's right, you've got a serious hottie living right down the hall. Where's he at anyway?"

"He's in the back, working."

"Ooh." Carly and Vanessa said in unison.

They went around the house and spotted Draco putting fresh hay into all the stalls. His shirt was drenched with water and sweat and his entire face was covered in sweat. His hair was still wet, but it was drying quickly.

"God, he's gorgeous." Carly was practically drooling.

"Can I have him?" Vanessa asked.

Right then, Draco looked up and spotted the three girls staring at him. He winked at Vanessa and Carly and they both blushed, and quickly left. Draco looked at Hermione and she rolled her eyes at the cocky grin on his face.

She went around to the front of the house, "I think you guys just boosted his ego about ten points."

"We better get going, call me tonight." Vanessa smiled.

"Will do."

"Have fun." Carly wiggled her eyebrows at Hermione.

"Yea, but don't do anything I wouldn't do." Vanessa added.

"BYE." Hermione smiled.

The girls got in the car and drove off.

Hermione went over to Draco again and threw some hay at him, "don't let it go to that already swollen head of yours. Their not used to seeing a...city boy out here in the middle of nowhere."

Draco smirked, "Is that why you were staring at me too?" 

Hermione looked at him for a moment, then changed the subject, "Are you hungry, 'cause I am."

Draco smiled, "Yea, I could eat."

"Good, I'll go order a pizza."

"A pizza?"

"Yea, I don't wanna cook."

"There's a pizza place around here?"

"About thirty minutes away."

"You're gonna make them come all the way out here?"

"That's what they're paid for, isn't it?"

"You're crazy."

"So I've been told." She smiled at Draco, then went inside. 

Hermione bounded into the house, grabbed the phone book and searched for a pizza place. Just after she hung up the phone, it rang.

"Hello?" 

'Hermione?' 

"Harry!" 

'How are you?'

"Oh, my god! I miss you so much!"

She heard Harry chuckle, 'Yea, me too.'

"How's your summer going?"

'Unbelievably wonderful!'

Hermione giggled, "Yea, I bet; you're finally out of your horrible aunt and uncle's house. How does it feel to be on your own?" 

'Great. How's your summer going?'

"It's...interesting." 

'How so?'

"Well, my grandpa hired someone to help with the farm this summer. You'll never guess who it is; Draco Malfoy."

'You're kidding, right?'

"Nope." 

'Holly cow, are you ok? Did he do anything to you? If he touched you, I'll kill him!'

"Whoa; down boy. I'm fine. He's not the same person we went to school with; he changed."

'Not possible.'

"Oh, yes it is. He had a...falling out with his dad and he's on his own now. He really has changed."

'Well, as long as you're ok.'

"I'm fine. Have you talked to Ron lately? How is he? Did he get his financial aid for school?"

'He's doing ok, but he didn't get the financial aid; he has to wait a year, then apply again.'

"That's so unfair; he should get to go to any school he wants, but his family can't afford it."

'He's not going to give up.'

"That's good. How's Ginny? I miss her terribly."

'She's excited to be a senior.'

"I bet; we were too."

'I better go; phone bill is going to skyrocket. I just wanted to see how you were doing.'

"I'm fine. Give the Weasley's my love."

'I will; be careful 'Mia.'

"I will; don't worry."

'I'll call you soon.'

"Ok, bye Harry."

'Bye.' 

Hermione hung up the phone and sighed; she missed Harry and Ron so much. They'd been friends since the first day of first grade and had never been apart all summer before. She knew it was time for everyone to lead their own lives. She snapped out of her thoughts and finished cleaning up the house. An hour later, the doorbell rang. She grabbed her money and ran to the door.

She smiled at the cute delivery guy, "Hi."

He gave her a once over and smiled, "How's it going?"

"Not bad. Thanks for coming all this way."

"No problem."

She took the pizza, gave him a ten-dollar tip and smiled, "Thanks." 

He took the money, winked at her, then left.

Hermione was so used to getting that kind of attention, it didn't even faze her anymore. She shut the door, dumped the pizza on the table, and went out back.

She hollered at Draco, "Hey stud, pizza's here!"

Draco dropped his pitchfork and headed inside.

Hermione laughed and took a step back, "Boy, you smell. How do you expect me to eat with that smell running around in my nose?"

Draco took a step towards her, "Why don't I go throw you in that manure pile, then we'll see who's laughing."

Hermione grinned, "Fat chance farm boy; go clean up or you ain't getting no Pizza."

They had a staring contest for a minute before Draco gave in, "Fine, but don't eat it all."

Hermione pretended to be insulted, "I'm not a pig!"

Draco smirked at her, then went upstairs to take a shower.

XXX

About twenty minutes later, Draco came downstairs and headed straight for the pizza. He scarfed three slices in less than two minutes. 

Hermione looked like she wanted to barf, "Who's the pig now?" 

"Let's see you work out in this weather for 8 hours and NOT be starving when you're done."

"Why are you working here?"

"Huh?" Draco was going in for another slice.

"I know that your dad...disowned you, but why? If you don't mind me asking."

"It's a long story."

"You can tell me on the way into town."

"Oh yea, you still gotta do that. Ok, let's go."

Hermione grabbed the list her grandma left her and they got in his car. 

About five minutes into the trip, Hermione smiled, "Ok, spill it." 

"Why so interested in my life?" He asked.

"I want to know what caused this total 180."

"Well, my father wanted me to take over the family business. When I said no, he freaked and disowned."

"Just because you didn't want to take over his business? It must have been really bad. What was it, plumbing?" Draco laughed, "Not quite."

"So what was it, like the Mafia or something?"

She waited for Draco to laugh again, but when he didn't, her eyes bugged out, "The Mafia!"

"In a way, I guess. Ever seen General Hospital?"

"Yea." 

"He's like that Sonny guy."

"Wait, you watch soap operas?"

"No, my mom did. Sometimes when my dad was being an asshole to her, I'd go sit with her. I was comfort for her."

"Oh." 

"Well, when I didn't want to do that shit, he kicked me out. There's no way in Hell that my family is going to go through all the shit that my mom and I went through because of him. My family will have normal a life."

"So, you're totally on your own?"

"Yea, my mom wanted to stay in touch with me, but my dad threatened to kill her if she did."

"That's so sad. Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're on your own, how can you afford to go to Yale?"

"My mom."

"Ok, I'm lost."

"The day my mom was born, her parents created a trust fund for her. Every month they put a thousand dollars in it. They were both surgeons, so they could afford it. When she was 18, she had around 200 thousand dollars. For ten more years, she put about $500 in it every month until she got married. When she found out who my dad really was, she put all the money in some Swiss bank account so he could never touch it. Well, when I was born, she started a similar account for me and put $100 in it every month and never told my dad. That's how I'm going to college."

"Wow; she's so different from your father."

"Yea, she is."

"So if you have all that money for school, then why are you working here?"

"My mom and I both know that my dad is keeping tabs on me and if he knew that I wasn't working, he would suspect something."

"Oh."

XXX

When they got into town, Hermione dragged him to all the stores, and a few more.

After about an hour, on the way back to his car, Hermione was staring at Draco. 

"What?" He asked.

"This is bad."

"What is?"

"This...you and me being...friendly."

"Why is that?"

"Because for 12 years you were a total jerk to me. It started on the first day of first grade when you called me a poppy face, and as the years wore on, the insults got worse."

"I thought you knew I was sorry about that."

"I do, but one 'I'm sorry' is not going to make up for 12 years." 

"Let me make it up to you."

"How?" 

Draco pointed to a huge sign that was hanging over the basic entrance to the town, "That."

"The town festival?"

"Yep. Let me take you to this town thing and try to make you forget with lots of junk food and scary rides."

"That's how you're gonna make it up?"

"Let me try?"

"Why not, it's not like there's anything better to do in this town anyway."

When they got to the car, he opened the door for her and she climbed in. 

"Hey, Vanessa's birthday is tomorrow and there's a party for her down at the lake tonight. I promised her I'd go, you wanna come?" 

"Yea, sure."

"Good." 

"Is this like a date?"

"Not even close. You've got a LONG way to go before you prove that you're...date worthy."

"That hurts, really."

"You deserve it." Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.

"Have you ever gone on a date?"

"Well, not really. My last boyfriend, we never actually went on a date. We just hung out and did a bunch of group things."

"Was he your only boyfriend?"

"Well, there was Ron, but that lasted like 3 days. We decided we were better off as friends."

"So you've only had one boyfriend?"

"Yea; Kevin."

"Was it serious?"

"I don't wanna talk about him."

"Fair enough."

He dropped the subject when he noticed the tense look on Hermione's face. They were silent the rest of the way home.

XXX

TBC… 


	5. Party Time

Pt. 4

XXX

After dinner, Hermione went upstairs to get ready for the party, while Draco finished up his work for the day. Around 9, Draco came in and went upstairs to find Hermione tapping her foot on the floor like a little child.

"We're gonna be late; hurry up!"

Draco looked her over and smiled, "You look great."

Hermione blushed a little, "Thanks, but we're still gonna be late."

Draco sighed, "Give me twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes!"

"Unless you want all your friends to see me looking...and smelling like horse shit."

"Ok, ten minutes, but hurry up!"

Hermione trudged back to her room.

Exactly twenty minutes later, Hermione pounded on Draco's door, "Come on!"

His door opened, and Draco glared at her, "Damn woman, ever heard of patience?"

"Yea; it's something that I lack. Come on!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him downstairs and out the door.

XXX

When they got to the lake, it looked the same as before, but there were balloons and confetti all over the place. Hermione spotted Vanessa and pulled Draco along with her.

"Happy Birthday!" Hermione handed a present to Vanessa.

"Thanks!" Hermione noticed all the girls staring at Draco, "Oh yea! Guys, this is Draco. He's working for my grandpa this summer."

Draco smiled, "Ladies."

They all looked at him like he was lunch.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're loving this aren't you." She whispered under her breath.

Draco grinned, "Hey, YOU brought ME here."

He looked at Vanessa, "Happy birthday."

She smiled, "Thanks. So, I hear you and Mia went to school together."

"Uh, yea. She probably told you all about me."

"Yea, but she didn't tell us how hot you are."

Draco smiled, "Well, I'm gonna go...get something to drink. You want something?" He asked Hermione.

"No thanks, I'm ok."

"Right."

He smiled, then quickly escaped.

"He's adorable! Don't let that one get away." Vanessa smiled.

"We're just friends."

"Yea right; I saw the way he was looking at you."

"Whatever."

"You are in total denial."

"No I'm not. It's just...after the way he treated me all those years, it's gonna be hard to just start over."

"True, but he seems to be trying."

"Yea, I know. I am too."

"He's got a fan club already." Vanessa pointed to Draco who was surrounded by girls.

"He always had at least five girls swarming around him. I'll be back in a bit."

Vanessa laughed, "Ok."

Hermione made her way over to Draco and pushed though the girls, who were glaring at her now, "Draco, umm...someone is looking for you."

"Oh, ok. Sorry ladies, I gotta go."

As they were leaving, Hermione couldn't resist, she turned around and stuck her tongue out at the girls.

"Thanks."

Hermione turned around and smiled, "Any time. I thought you loved that stuff."

"Yea, me too. It just doesn't seem all that great anymore."

"Wow, you really HAVE changed."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I'm not."

Just then, Vanessa ran up to them and took Hermione aside, "Heads up, Kevin's here."

Hermione looked around and instantly spotted Kevin and a skanky looking girl hanging off his arm.

"Shit." She turned to Draco and tried to hide behind him.

Draco looked at Vanessa, "What's going on?"

"Kevin's here."

"Who's Kevin?"

"Her ex."

"She mentioned him; didn't really want to talk about him though."

"Yea, I figured."

Hermione glared at the two, "Uh, hello? I'm right here."

Draco stepped to the side, "Why are you hiding?"

Hermione stomped her foot when he moved, "Because I don't want him to see me!"

Vanessa frowned, "Too late."

Hermione looked at Kevin and he was walking towards her. She wanted to cry. Draco could see that she was upset, so he took her hand. He could feel her relax a little and he squeezed her hand.

Kevin walked right up to them, "Hey Mia, long time no see."

"Hi Kevin."

"You look good."

"What do you want Kevin?"

"Can't a guy just say hi?"

"Not when you're the guy." Vanessa cut in.

"Vanessa. Happy birthday."

"Thanks, but I don't remember inviting you."

"Stop." Hermione glared at Kevin. "Seriously, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"You mean since you dumped me? I see you've found a replacement."

"Oh yea, this is Candy."

"Of course it is." Hermione stated dryly.

"Excuse me?" Candy glared at Hermione.

"I see you've lowered your standards." Hermione said to Kevin.

Candy gasped in shock, "What is your problem?"

"Oh please, don't act all innocent. My old Barbie dolls would fit better in the clothes you're wearing."

Vanessa and Draco both smirked.

Hermione looked at Kevin, "How long did you work on her before she fucked you?"

"How dare you!" Candy shrieked.

"So feisty, now I remember why I fell for you." Kevin smiled.

"You mean used me. You only wanted one thing from me and when you got it, you dumped me."

Hermione looked at Candy, "Mark my words honey, he'll do the same to you. He's probably already dropped the bait. Has he told you yet that your eyes are as beautiful as the sunrise, and that your smile could light up a room?"

Kevin scoffed and glanced at Draco, "And you think he wants you for your mind and spirit? He knows you're only good for one thing." He looked at Draco, "Keep working on her, she'll give."

Draco advanced on Kevin like he was going to punch him, but Hermione stopped him, "Don't do it, he's not worth it!"

Draco shot daggers at Kevin, "You stay the Hell away from her!"

Kevin smiled smugly, "I will, I already got what I wanted."

Before Hermione could stop him, Draco punched Kevin square in the face, grabbed Hermione's hand and they left.

XXX

About a mile from the lake, Hermione stopped and looked at Draco, "No one's ever stood up for me like that before."

"That guy was an asshole. And to think, I used to be like him." Draco smiled.

Hermione looked into his eyes, "But you aren't...not anymore."

Hermione cupped Draco's cheek in her hand, and he leaned into her embrace. Hermione let her hand travel down his face and placed it on the pulse point at the hollow of his neck, feeling his rapid heartbeat under her touch. She cast her eyes down to follow the path her hands were making. Her hands moved deliberately to his shoulders and arms, and she felt the muscles that rippled under her contact. The electric feeling exploding around her was new and exhilarating. Draco watched as Hermione studied him with awe, his body on fire from her mere touch. Her hands fell to his wrist, effortlessly moving to his hands. The rough calluses on his palms, a start contrast to her smooth skin, elicited an arousing friction that neither could deny. She knew this was so wrong. She was suppose to hate him, not...have feelings for him. But, instead of pulling away like her mind told her to do, she did what her heart told her to do. She wrapped her hands around Draco's neck and pulled him down into a kiss that sent electricity through both of their bodies.

XXX

TBC…


	6. Night Out

Pt. 5

The next morning, Draco was downstairs before Hermione was and he was helping her grandma set the table. When Hermione came downstairs, she locked eyes with Draco and they both just stared at each other for a minute, before Hermione blushed and looked away. All through breakfast, her grandparent's talked about their trip into town and Draco and Hermione stared at their plates, not wanting to look at each other. After breakfast, Hermione helped wash the dishes and Draco got to work on cleaning stalls. After the dishes were done, Hermione grabbed a basket and went to collect eggs from the chickens. 

After collecting about five eggs, Hermione walked over to Draco.

"Hi." 

Draco looked up and smiled, "Hey."

"Um, I kind of wanted to talk to you about last night."

Draco sighed and dropped his pitchfork, "Let me guess, it was a mistake."

Hermione looked at him for a second, "Actually, I was going to say that last night was the most fun I've had in a long time. Well, aside from that jerk coming along and trying to wreck it. I don't think that the kiss was a mistake. It was totally unexpected, but not a mistake." She paused for a moment then smiled, "I don't make mistakes." 

Draco looked at her, "So, then where does this leave us?" 

Hermione looked at the pitchfork lying on the hay, "I don't really know. I guess we just take it one day at a time and see what happens." 

"That sounds ok with me I suppose."

"Well, I better get these eggs in the house." She smiled one last time at Draco, then went inside.

Draco watched her until he was out of sight, then picked up the pitchfork and got back to work.

All day, Draco couldn't get his mind off of Hermione...for several reasons. He was way out of her league; his father would never approve of her; however, he wasn't even talking to his father anymore, so that didn't really matter. They were complete opposites; their relationship would never work. But, most of all, he was thinking about how incredible she was. She was beautiful, smart, and most importantly, she'd given him a second chance, unlike so many others. He knew that there was no way things could work for them, but he wasn't even sure if Hermione wanted things to work out. Though, he'd never know for sure unless he tried. But, that would have to wait for another day. Tonight he had plans to hang out with a friend who'd come to visit who thought that he desperately needed saving from this hick town. Blaise Zabini was one of the only people who hadn't turned on Draco when his father had disowned him. Tonight they had plans to hang out in the next closest town that actually had some life. It was actually a very good idea; he needed to get away from this place and that girl. He needed some time to clear his head and figure out what he was going to do.

At about six that night, Draco got everything finished and yet again, smelled like shit and every farm smell known to man. He ran upstairs and hopped into the shower, coming out ten minutes later squeaky-clean. He put on a clean pair of boxers and stepped out into the hallway and ran right into Hermione.

"Ooh, you smell good. Well, better than what you smelled like ten minutes ago." Hermione smiled, then blushed when she realized what he was wearing.

Draco noticed her outfit too. She was wearing a pair of hip huggers with a chain belt and a periwinkle tank top. Her face had specks of glitter all over and lips were a rosy pink color. She looked great.

"Going somewhere?" Draco asked, looking her over.

"Yea. Vanessa and I are going to go out, just the two of us. How about you? Got any plans tonight?"

Draco thought about telling her, but decided against it, "Nope. I'm just going to stay here and read a book or something." 

Hermione frowned, "Sounds exciting. Well, I'll see ya later."

She grinned at him, then bounded down the stairs.

Draco smiled, then went to his room to get ready.

At seven, Draco met Blaise in Decater, which was the closest town with a pulse. Draco instantly cheered up when he saw Blaise.

"Hey man! So, are you sure this town isn't dead? It looks that way." Blaise said as he shook Draco's hands.

"It's better than the town that I'm staying in. Besides, there's a new club that just opened up here."

"I guess I'll give it a chance. So, how do you like working on a farm? Does the farmer have a hot daughter?" Blaise grinned.

Draco chuckled, "Granddaughter actually."

"Ah, very nice. Is she hot?"

"Um, yea."

"I'll have to meet her before I leave."

Draco smiled, "You've already met her."

Blaise raised his eyebrow, "I have?"

Hermione and Vanessa were walking down the street with disappointed looks on their faces.

"I can't believe you didn't check to see if that new club was 21 and over." Hermione complained.

"Sorry, I never thought this dumb town would try to be that cool." Vanessa explained.

"Well, now what?"

"We could go see a movie. "Casablanca" is playing at the Omni Plex." Vanessa suggested.

"The last thing I need is a mushy love story."

"What else are we gonna do?" Vanessa whined.

Hermione was just about to respond when something caught her attention. Vanessa followed Hemione's gaze and it landed on two guys.

"Ooh!" Vanessa squealed, "Hottie alert!" She gave them a catcall before Hermione could stop her, and the guys turned around. 

Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head, "Subtly; you should look it up."

Vanessa's grin got bigger when she saw their faces, "Hey, it's your hero; and his really hot friend."

Hermione realized it _was_ Draco, as well as…Blaise Zabini?

The girls walked over and Hermione smirked at Draco, "Read a book huh?"

Draco grinned, "I got bored."

Blaise stared at Hermione for a second before it finally dawned on him, "Granger?"

Hermione glanced at him, "Gee, nothing gets by you. Were you always this smart?"

"Didn't I once tell you that that mouth of yours was going to get you into trouble some day?" Blaise smirked.

"Yea, I believe it was right after I called you an arrogant little prick. I see that some things haven't changed." Hermione sneered at him. 

Blaise glared at her, "You're lucky you've got your looks to fall back on. Otherwise, you'd die alone. It hasn't been that long since graduation; what did you do to yourself?"

Before Hermione could snap at him, Blaise answered his own question. He looked at Draco, "See, I told you man, those damn school uniforms did _nothing _for the female student body." Blaise laughed at his own joke.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Are you done yet?"

Blaise glared at her, then looked at Draco again, "Hey, how come you're not surprised to see her?"

"Well, she's the farmer's granddaughter." Draco said.

"You work for _her_ family?"

"Yea." 

"Lucky guy. Are there any advantages to working around her?" Blaise asked, as she scanned Hermione's figure.

"Pig." Hermione glared daggers at him.

Blaise opened his mouth to shoot something back at her when Vanessa interrupted them.

"Ok guys, that's enough." Vanessa stepped between the two and smiled at Blaise, "Hi, I'm Vanessa."

Blaise gave her the once over and smiled, "Blaise."

Vanessa smiled, "Hmm…that's an interesting name. So Blaise, what do you say we lose the dead weight?" She asked, referring to Draco and Hermione.

Blaise patted Draco on the shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow man." 

Before anyone could object, Blaise and Vanessa disappeared together. 

Hermione and Draco looked at each other, "I think we just got dumped." Hermione observed.

"Yea." Draco agreed.

They stood in silence for a minute before Hermione spoke, "I really don't want to go home. Vanessa and I were going to see a movie. Wanna take her spot?"

"Are you asking me out?" Draco smirked.

"Hardly. I just thought it would be better than going home."

Draco looked at her for a second, "Yea, ok."

Hermione smiled and Draco followed her to the theater.

After they got out of the theater, Hermione still had tears in her eyes. 

Draco rolled his eyes, "What is it with women and that movie?"

"It's the very definition of a chick flick." Hermione said.

"Romantic and sad…"

"Basically." Hermione smiled.

"I'll never understand it." Draco said.

"Um…Vanessa drove me here. How did you get here?" Hermione asked.

"I brought my car."

Hermione batted her eyelashes at him, "Care to help out a damsel in distress?"

"I don't know. You made me sit through that movie." Draco smirked at her.

When they were half way home, Draco decided it was now or never.

"Since you won't bring it up, I will."

Hermione looked at him, "Bring up what?"

"What do you _think_?" Draco asked.

"Right, the kiss." Hermione sighed.

"Yea. Why did it happen? Do you want this to be something, or was it just a one time thing?"

"Why does it have to be just my decision? You didn't exactly pull away." Hermione stated.

"Things have definitely changed between us since the summer began. I do like you Hermione. You gave me a second chance when I didn't deserve one." 

"You've changed Draco; I know that. The other night you did something for me that no one has ever done before."

They pulled up to the house and Hermione got out before Draco could say anything. He knew that she was embarrassed. He jumped out and gently grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. He tilted her chin up with his finger and made her look at him, "What do _you_ want Hermione?"

Hermione looked like she wanted to cry. She didn't say anything for a minute, "I want…"

Draco silenced her by bringing his mouth down to hers in a sweet, gentle kiss. That was something she thought she'd never feel again. When they parted Hermione smiled, "That. That's what I want."

Draco smiled, "Me too."

Her took her hand and led her into the house.

TBC…


	7. All Good Things Must Come to an End

Pt. 6

xxx

A few weeks had passed since Draco and Hermione had agreed that there was something between them. They spent all of their free time together going to movies, hanging out at the lake, and just being together. Hermione always found some excuse to help Draco so they could spend as much time together as possible. Deep in her mind, Hermione knew that it was all going to have to end in a few weeks but she tried to put the thought aside and enjoy being with Draco for as long as possible.

On the 4th of July, Hermione, Draco, and Hermione's grandparents all went into town for the local festival that happened every year. Around 10 pm the fireworks began and Draco and Hermione sat cuddled together watching them. After everything was over, they headed back to the car but Draco took Hermione's hand and pulled her in another direction.

"The car is this way." She said.

"I know, but we aren't going home yet. I have a surprise for you."

Hermione smiled, "Ooh, I like surprises. I just need to tell my…"

Draco cut her off, "Already taken care of." He waved to the old couple and continued pulling Hermione away.

She waved at them and followed Draco. Soon they came to a grassy spot under a huge oak tree. Under the tree was a large blanket spread out with a picnic basket and some candles.

Hermione grinned, "Oh my gosh, this is so great! When did you have time to do this?"

"I did it while you were talking to Vanessa."

"That's why she wouldn't let me leave."

Draco grinned. He led her to the blanket and they sat down. Draco lit the candles and then reached into the picnic basket and pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle of wine. He poured them each a glass and they toasted.

"I hope this summer never ends." Hermione whispered.

They took a sip and Hermione smiled, "Wow, this is really good. What kind is it?"

"It's strawberry wine; my mom makes it."

"Your mom made this?"

"Yea, she makes all kinds of wine but this is her favorite. Mine too actually.

"Mine too." Hermione took another sip.

They sat for a while talking about nothing in particular; just stuff that came to their minds. After a while, Hermione got really quiet.

"What's the matter?" Draco asked.

"I don't ever want this to end. I've finally found something worth holding on to and I'm going to have to let it go."

"You don't have to let anything go Hermione."

"We are going to school on opposite sides of the country. I'm going into medicine and you are studying law…how are we going to make time for each other with schedules like that?"

"If we want it bad enough, we can make time." Draco said.

"Let's be serious for a moment. We are both devoted to school; we will be so wrapped up that we'll forget to eat, let alone find time to each other." Hermione sighed.

"I suppose you're right. Maybe we should just end things now and cut our losses." Draco looked at his wine glass.

"Is that what you want? It's not what I want." A tear rolled down Hermione's cheek and Draco wiped it away with his finger.

"That's not what I want either. I want us to spend as much time together as we possibly can before we have to say goodbye."

"The thought of saying goodbye is killing me; I think I love you. I know it sounds crazy seeing as how we've only been on speaking terms for like a month, but in this last month I've learned so much about you, myself, and…everything."

"I feel the same way." Draco admitted.

Hermione looked into his eyes, "You do?"

"Yes. The thought of leaving is almost too much for me to handle….but all good things must come to an end."

Even though they both wanted to stay together at whatever the cost, they knew that it wasn't possible; it wasn't reality. They had lives to live and…at least for now, they were going to have to live them without each other.

Hermione wiped away her tears, "I want you to make love to me."

Draco looked at her, "Are you sure?"

"No doubt in my mind. You are leaving in two weeks and this seems like the perfect time. After everything you've done tonight, what better way to end a perfect night?" Hermione smiled.

Draco leaned over and kissed her. That night, under the oak tree and the stars above they made a silent promise to never forget each other.

xxx

The next two weeks went by all too quickly for the young couple. As Draco was loading his belongings into his car, Hermione was trying very hard not to cry. Draco finished loading his car and went inside to say goodbye and thank Hermione's grandparents. When he came back outside, Hermione was crying.

"Don't cry my love; this isn't goodbye. This is, until next time." Draco held her in his arms.

"It's not over. It's just…on the backburner." Hermione said between sobs.

Draco held Hermione's face in his hands, "I love you Hermione and we _will _be together again."

Hermione wanted so badly to believe him, but when he kissed her as though he was never going to see her again, she knew not to get her hopes up. They exchanged numbers and addresses and agreed to write and call as much as possible. After one last kiss, Draco got into his car and drove away.

xxx

TBC…

Ok, so I know this chapter is way too short but I just haven't had much time to keep up with this story but I didn't want to just not finish it because that's so not fair to all of you guys. This is pretty much the end, but I'm working on at least one more chapter to wrap things up and I hope to have it out soon!

:o)


	8. Epilogue

4 Years Later…

ooo

Hermione stood in front of the large farmhouse that had given her so many memories. She walked around to the back and looked out at the deserted pasture and thought about how many dozens of eggs she had collected in her lifetime and how many gallons of horse manure she'd scooped up. She walked back around to the front of the house and decided to take one last look inside before it was sold. She still had a key so she slipped it in the hole and unlocked the door. As soon as it opened, all the homey smells came rushing out at her, even though the house was now empty. She walked through all the rooms remembering how everything had looked during the last summer she had spent there almost four years ago. She could still see her grandmother in the kitchen working on homemade apple pies and her grandfather sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper.

After spending about twenty minutes there, she left her key on the kitchen counter and locked up behind her. She had intended to get into her car and leave, but somehow her feet had managed to lead her down a dirt path than led to the lake where she had made so many memories. From the looks of the place, it looked like it was still a popular hangout for the kids. Her feet managed to lead her to a single grassy spot with a huge oak tree. She walked over to the tree and traced her finger over the initials that had been carved onto it on that unforgettable night. Draco Malfoy had been her first love even though she'd only truly known him for a short time. Before he had left that day so long ago, he had promised that they would be together again but she never got her hopes up. They wrote a few letters and sent a few cards back and fourth and they talked to each other on the phone for about an hour once. As time went on, they drifted apart and after four years, Draco Malfoy was just a wonderful memory. Hermione leaned against the tree and just thought about everything that had happened that summer and how it had been the best summer of her life.

"Lot's of memories huh?" came a voice from behind.

Hermione turned around and saw that familiar face, "Hi." She said almost breathlessly.

Draco walked over to her, "Hi."

"What are you doing here?"

"Probably the same thing that you are; just remembering old memories."

"Do you live here?"

"No. I was on a business trip and I read your grandmother's obituary in the paper. I wanted to pay my respects. She was a great lady."

Hermione smiled, "Yes she was."

"How is your grandfather?"

"He's ok. They spent almost fifty years in that house together and my grandpa just couldn't imagine living there without her. He's moving in with my parents."

"When was the last time you were in town?"

"Not since that summer. I've been so busy with med school I just never had the time. I did see them once a year at Christmas when they visited my parents."

"Med school huh? That's great."

"Yea it is. I love it." Hermione looked down at her feet, then back up at him, "Quite the coincidence that we're here at the same time."

Draco smiled, "Maybe it's fate."

"Maybe it is."

"Do you have to leave anytime soon? Maybe we could have dinner."

Hermione stared into those silvery-blue eyes for a minute, "Yea, I'd like that."

ooo

They had agreed to meet at an Italian restaurant in town around eight o' clock. Hermione hadn't been expecting to be having dinner with anyone, let alone Draco Malfoy so she had nothing to wear. When she got to town, she rented a hotel room then went to the best clothing store in town so she could find a dress for the night. After about an hour of looking through every dress known to mankind, she finally settled on a little black dress (a classic) with spaghetti straps. The dress came just above her knees and fit her like a second skin but it wasn't too tight, and she finished it off with black strappy heels. She curled her hair and put it up leaving just a few loose strands. She grabbed her bag and left her room at exactly eight. She hopped in her car and made it to the restaurant only seven minutes later. She walked in and saw Draco sitting at a table by the window. When he saw her, he stood up and watched memorized as she walked over to him.

He stared at her for a moment before finally speaking. "You are more beautiful than I remember."

Hermione blushed and he helped her take her seat.

"Thank you for inviting me."

"I'm glad you had time to squeeze me in." Draco paused for a second, "I've missed you."

Hermione smiled, "I missed you too."

"I tried to call you once after the last time we talked. Your number had been disconnected."

"Yea, I moved. I wrote you a letter with my new address and number but it came back."

"Yea, I moved too."

"Well, at least we are here now."

"Yes we are."

They spent the next two hours eating dinner and catching up on the last four years of their lives. They talked about school, where they wanted to be in five years, and just stuff. When the restaurant closed, they decided it was time to leave. They stood outside the door for a minute just looking at each other with a semi awkward silence. Finally Draco spoke.

"I've got an obscenely large hotel suite and it's far too early for bed. Do you want to continue this conversation there?"

Hermione smiled, "Your hotel room huh?"

"I promise to behave myself."

"Well, only if you promise."

Hermione followed him to his hotel and they ended up on the couch with drinks. They continued talking for another hour before Hermione set her empty glass down.

"I think I've had enough to drink for one night. It's kinda stuffy in here isn't it?"

She walked out onto the balcony and closed her eyes and took in the soft breeze. She heard footsteps behind her and Draco came up and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I meant it when I said that I've missed you." He whispered into her ear.

She shivered at the contact, "I meant it to Draco, but I've got to leave tomorrow. I have classes on Monday."

He slipped the strap off her shoulder and kissed it, "I know; so do I. I'm not talking about Monday or even tomorrow. I'm talking about right now. I still love you Hermione; I never stopped."

Hermione turned around to face him, "Neither did I. I just don't want to start something and have to end it again. It killed me when you left the first time; I don't want to have to go through that again."

"Don't think about that right now. Think about us being her right now."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Four years of emotions came flooding back to them with that one kiss and in a matter of seconds they went from the balcony to the bed.

Draco woke up the next morning with a note next to his pillow.

_Draco, _

_Thank you for a wonderful evening. It was truly wonderful seeing you again and I know it won't be the last time. Call me so we can keep in touch: 713-555-1709._

_I love you._

_-Hermione_

ooo

4 Months later…

Hermione lugged a moving box up two flights of stairs and dropped in onto the floor in front of her new door. She fiddled with the key for a minute and cursed when she couldn't get the stupid door unlocked. After a few more swears and some doorknob jingling she finally got it opened. She put the box just inside the door and returned minutes later with several more boxes. She heard the door across the hall open and she turned to get a look at her new neighbor.

"Well, I guess it really is fate." She said when saw Draco step out into the hall.

Draco grinned, "It's so much more than that."

He grabbed her and pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, determined to never again let him go.

The End…

ooo

Wow, this story took a LONG time to write. I really hope you guys liked it thanks so much for all the great reviews! I'm thinking about a sequel, but I honestly don't think it'll happen…but who knows!

Thanks again!


End file.
